(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reclosable food container suitable for use in the take-out food industry. More particularly, an easily openable and reclosable food container having either one or two cavities which is erected from a single unitary blank.
(2) Related Art
The expansion of the take-out and prepared food industry over the last several years has increased demand for suitable containers. The Chinese food pail is well-known in the take-out food industry. It is preconstructed at the manufacture plant by folding the pre-cut blank and fastening the gussets with glue or metallic wire. This simplifies use by the food seller who need merely fill the container and close the lid. These Chinese food pails typically have a deep narrow configuration which makes them unsuitable for storage of food not intended to intermingle. Moreover, such pails uniformly have a four-panel lid structure which requires four different folding operations and the use of both hands to achieve closure.
Another type of food carton is fashioned in a shallower configuration and an insert divider is used to separate different foods from one another. The divider insert, if permanently attached, e.g., glued, prevents nesting of the boxes during shipment and storage, thereby increasing associated costs. If not permanently attached, the likelihood of leakage of food around the divider increases dramatically. Moreover, in the process of assembling the container, extra time is required by the food seller to locate the appropriate divider and assemble the container. The same four-fold lid structure is also employed by this type of container.
Still another type of food container is fashioned in the form of an open tray for storing a predetermined amount of food. It is erected at the point of purchase from a pre-cut, pre-scored carton blank. These blanks are typically erected by manually performing numerous time consuming folding and tucking operations at the point of sale. The resulting container often leaks at the corner formed by interlocking tabs and slots. Some variations employ glue to secure the adjacent panels, but leaking remains a problem. Such containers are unsatisfactory for packaging many prepared or take-out foods.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to have a reclosable food container with a simplified lid closure. Moreover, it would be desirable to have a reclosable food container having more than a single cavity so that different foods can be segregated without further assembly requirements or cross-contamination.